Software: Putting PCs to Work

VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet for personal computers, was followed by spreadsheets from Lotus, Microsoft, Borland and others. VisiCalc wasn’t patented because software patents generally were not issued until after a groundbreaking 1981 Supreme Court ruling.

Software: Putting PCs to Work

As PC users became more numerous and diverse, entrepreneurs vied to meet (and create) demand for new and varied applications.

Software companies exploded in the 1980s. So too did software piracy. Users readily copied and shared programs. The introduction of computers with dual-floppy disk drives made this process child’s play—often literally, since games were among the most frequently copied applications.

Microsoft

Bill Gates contacted makers of the Altair in 1975 proposing software for the BASIC programming language. The company was interested—which meant Gates and friend Paul Allen had to actually develop it. Microsoft was born.

In 1975, two young hackers, united by a passion for computers, set out to share their obsession with the world. Bill Gates and Paul Allen reminisce about the modest beginnings and hobbyist roots of the company that grew to be global industry giant Microsoft.

VisiCalc’s prototype was written in the Apple II’s integer BASIC language. The final version was developed on a minicomputer and written in assembler language for its 6502 microprocessor. Unable to fit in the base machine’s 16 kilobyte memory, it required the costlier 32 kilobyte model.

In spring 1978, while working on his MBA at Harvard, Bricklin created a prototype for VisiCalc using a PDP-10 BASIC timesharing system. That fall, he teamed up with longtime friend Frankston to begin developing the real product for the Apple II.